A/N - I would apologize for the cliffhanger last chapter, but I'd be lying. I kind of love them. Anyway, all will be explained here and I think some of you might be a little surprised. Thank you all for continuing to read and review!

Chapter 45

Running

7 February 2000

Whatever Hermione had suspected Kingsley was going to tell them, that wasn't it. If Harry's gobsmacked expression was anything to go by, he felt the same way.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"After the war, we were easily able to remove anyone with the Dark Mark, as well as many of Voldemort's unmarked supporters. Few of them were very quiet about it. However, the Ministry had been corrupt, even under Fudge, as you both know. Ferreting out everyone else was a bit more difficult, especially when many of them had been covering their tracks for years.

I refuse to have a Ministry that eventually reverts to the very circumstances that made it ripe for Voldemort to rise to power in the first place. As such, once we had the obvious supporters out of the way, I found a few people and sent them to departments throughout the Ministry I suspected to be the worst offenders. They were all hired, thankfully. Jensen Barbary is one of those people." Hermione leaned back in her chair, completely shocked.

"Wow," Harry finally said. "So, his reaction today?"

"Was simply him playing his part," Kingsley said.

"I don't understand," Hermione said. "If Barbary has been in the DRCMC for over a year, why hasn't anyone been removed? Warrington at the very least."

"Well, that's where we have hit a bit of a snag," Kingsley said with a sigh. "When I sent Barbary to the department, the position in the Werewolf Capture Unit was the only one available. The plan was that Barbary would work there for a few months and gain Satterfield's confidence, then work his way up in the department. I had hoped that he would have been the head of a subdivision by now."

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"Barnaby Satterfield happened," Kingsley said. "The man trusts very few people and after a couple of months it was clear that Barbary was going to have to work there quite a bit longer to even be considered for another position. Not to mention that Satterfield keeps those that support him in place and most of them hold supervisory positions." Hermione snorted. She knew this all too well.

"Satterfield is my ultimate target," Kingsley continued. Hermione looked up in surprise. "In order to bring him down, I needed to give him enough rope to hang himself. Meaning, he had to never suspect that he still wasn't fully in charge. Unfortunately, that meant that I also had to continue to let Satterfield be in charge, especially of the hiring and firing. He would have gotten suspicious otherwise. So, we had to shift Barbary's focus to keeping Warrington and the others in line as much as he could, while still trying to get close to Satterfield. I suspect the reason that Will's pack disappeared was because Barbary had someone warn them ahead of time."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed. Kingsley held up a hand.

"Warrington was the one pushing for Will's pack to be investigated," Kingsley explained. "Barbary didn't believe any of them had done anything wrong and there is still doubt that a Muggle girl is even missing. Barbary definitely had no idea that they would abandon one of their own."

"Why was Barbary so harsh with Will in the forest?" Hermione demanded. "I understand he's undercover, but he terrified that boy." Kingsley sighed.

"He must keep up appearances, Hermione. Warrington is one of the few that Satterfield trusts completely. In fact, Warrington could have advanced much further in the DRCMC, but he loves his job just a bit too much." Kingsley made a disgusted face. "Warrington would not hesitate to report any unexpected behavior on Barbary's part. I know you are upset, but please believe that Barbary never would have hurt that child. At my request, he has been trying to reunite children that were bitten during the war with their families. He has also been encouraging werewolves to come in and register. He has done everything in his power to keep those that are innocent, safe." Harry and Hermione sat in silence for a few moments, taking in all that Kingsley had said. When Hermione thought about it, she realized that there had actually been very few werewolves brought in for questioning since she had been working in the Beast Division. Most of the time, she heard Warrington complaining that he hardly had any work to do.

"We are getting close to Satterfield," Kingsley continued. "He has actually begun speaking with Barbary in private about his ultimate ambitions regarding his job. I need to keep Barbary in place."

"I don't understand why you can't just get rid of Satterfield," Harry said. "You're the Minister."

"I could," Kingsley agreed. "But Satterfield and a few others have been in the Ministry for longer than the two of you have been alive. They have built a network of people at all levels that trust them completely. People that would be quite vocal if Satterfield was dismissed without cause, as they would see it. I will not have this administration painted with the same brush as Fudge or Thicknesse."

"So, you need evidence," Harry said.

"Yes," Kingsley replied. Harry glanced at Hermione.

"Hermione, I think you should tell him," Harry said.

"Tell me what?" Kingsley asked.

"About Satterfield and Hermione's House-Elf proposal," Harry said.

"I have been curious about that," Kingsley replied. "In fact, I questioned Satterfield about it when I found out that you no longer had anything to do with the project once it was passed."

"What did he say?" Hermione asked curiously.

"He said that you asked to move divisions." Hermione snorted.

"And you believed him?" Harry asked incredulously.

"He told me that Hermione was extremely interested in learning all she could about the entire DRCMC. While I found it strange that you would request a transfer before the House-Elf law had been fully enacted, Satterfield assured me that you fully trusted Gwendolyn Newberry to implement all policies. As I said, I found it odd, but it wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility. You have always wanted to learn as much as you can, Hermione. And I needed Satterfield to continue to think I trusted him. May I ask what the real story is?"

"Mr. Satterfield never wanted me to present my proposal in the first place," Hermione said. "In fact, he only hired me because of who I was. He never even had a position available for me and at first, Gwendolyn thought I was her secretary. Mr. Satterfield was angry because he felt that we went behind his back to get the proposal heard by the Wizengamot. As soon as it was passed, he told me he was transferring me."

"Why didn't you come to me, Hermione?" Kingsley asked.

"I didn't want anyone to think I was getting special treatment," Hermione said with a shrug. "And he was right about one thing, I do trust Gwendolyn implicitly."

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you about it directly," Kingsley said.

"It's all right," Hermione said. "I understand why you didn't."

"You're forgetting something," Harry said. He gave Hermione a significant look. She bit her lip. Telling Kingsley about being taken off the House-Elf bill was one thing. Admitting that Gwendolyn had Mr. Satterfield sign off on it while drunk was another. Kingsley was looking at her expectantly.

"It doesn't matter," Hermione said.

"The hell it doesn't, Hermione," Harry said. "Hermione and I were out for lunch one afternoon and ran into Satterfield. He was drunk." Kingsley seemed to sit up straighter in his chair.

"Was he still inebriated when he returned to the Ministry?" Hermione sighed.

"Yes, but he sent his secretary out for a sobering potion as soon as he got back."

"Do you know if he performed any work before he took the potion." Hermione bit her lip again and looked at her lap.

"Yes," she said quietly.

"Why wouldn't you want to tell me this?" Kingsley asked.

"It's the day that Gwendolyn got him to sign off on my proposal." Hermione looked up at Kingsley and he had a look of understanding on his face. Hermione looked away. Suddenly, something that hadn't seemed like a big deal at the time, now made her feel incredibly guilty.

"Don't you dare blame yourself for this, Hermione," Harry said vehemently. "Satterfield didn't have to drink so much at lunch. He could have had a sobering potion with him or he could have refused to look at the paperwork Gwendolyn gave him until Victoria got back."

"Harry is right," Kingsley said. "While what Gwendolyn did was back-handed, Satterfield ultimately made the choice to work when he knew he was impaired."

"It wasn't completely Gwendolyn's idea," Hermione defended. "I went along with it."

"I will keep that information to myself, unless it is needed," Kingsley said. Hermione nodded.

"So, what do we do now?" Harry asked. "Barbary obviously has to keep his cover, which is why he demanded Hermione's arrest."

"Yes," Kingsley agreed. "But when I spoke briefly to Barbary after he arrived at the Ministry, I told him not to inform Satterfield yet. Satterfield has been in meetings all afternoon and likely has left for the day." Hermione glanced at the clock on the mantel and saw that it was already fifteen minutes after five. Mr. Satterfield always left promptly at five, earlier if he could manage it.

"Still, Williamson isn't going to let this go," Harry said.

"It's unlikely," Kingsley agreed.

"Even if Mr. Satterfield doesn't find out about this until tomorrow morning, his first action is going to be to fire me," Hermione said.

"What about that other job, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Other job?" Kingsley questioned.

"Margaret Fawcett offered me a position with the Wizengamot Administrative Services, doing research for proposals."

"And you accepted?" Kingsley asked.

"Yes, at lunch today," Hermione said.

"Hermione, that's fantastic," Harry said. Hermione frowned.

"If I'm still able to get the transfer, at any rate. I'm sure being arrested will nullify it. Not to mention being fired."

"Did Ms. Fawcett put in the transfer paperwork?" Kingsley asked.

"She said she was going to this afternoon," Hermione said. Kingsley waved his wand at his throat, casting a 'Sonorus' charm.

"Miss Stebbins, come in here, please." The secretary entered a few seconds later.

"Yes, sir?"

"Please get me any department transfer paperwork that was filed today."

"Right away, Minister."

"Does anyone else know about your lunch today with Margaret?" Kingsley asked Hermione once his secretary had left.

"Gwendolyn set it up, but I didn't tell anyone else in my department."

"And no one saw you with her at lunch?"

"I doubt it, we went to Muggle London, specifically so we wouldn't run into anyone." Hermione said. "I met her there, so we didn't leave the Ministry together either." Kingsley nodded and summoned parchment and quill and passed them to Hermione.

"Write a letter of resignation, effectively immediately." Hermione looked at him quizzically. "Trust me."

"I assume you would like me to keep it professional," she said. She longed to tell Satterfield exactly what she thought of him.

"It would be easier, yes," Kingsley replied with a knowing smile. "And don't mention your transfer." Hermione set to work and barely noticed when the Minister's secretary returned with a piece of parchment.

"Only one today, sir."

"Thank you, Miss Stebbins. Please find out if Barnaby Satterfield is still in the building." The secretary nodded and left. Hermione read over her letter one more time and signed her name. She looked up expectantly.

"I am going to backdate the transfer request to yesterday. It normally goes through a committee, which, to be frank, is a waste of time and resources. I can't remember the last time a transfer wasn't approved. I'll sign off on it myself and have Miss Stebbins file it in the archives. I doubt anyone will go looking for it, but if they do, they won't bother questioning anyone on the committee once they see my signature. I'll explain to Margaret.

Knowing that Satterfield doesn't leave a second past five o'clock, I doubt he is still here. I'll have your letter delivered and left on his desk. When he arrives tomorrow, your transfer will already have been approved."

"If Barbary is your man, can't you just get him to drop his insistence for Hermione's arrest?" Harry asked.

"I will be speaking with him as soon as we're finished," Kingsley said. "However, now that Williamson is involved, things are more difficult."

"Right," Harry said. Kingsley drummed his fingers on his desk, looking thoughtful for a moment. He turned to Hermione.

"What is the first project you'd like to undertake once you are working for Margaret?"

"The werewolf laws," Hermione said immediately. Kingsley smiled.

"I thought as much. Are you aware that other countries deal with werewolves differently than we do here?"

"No, I wasn't," Hermione admitted.

"Yes, some are rather progressive, actually. Do you speak French?"

"Some," Hermione said, brow furrowing at the change in topic. "My mother is fluent and taught me a bit when we would holiday in France when I was growing up. I know enough to get by." Kingsley nodded.

"I think you need to take a research trip before you begin your new job. To France." Hermione's eyes narrowed.

"You want me to run away?" she asked.

"Not run away, take a research trip."

"With all due respect, Kingsley, it's the same thing."

"I beg to differ," Kingsley said. "France has one of the fairest set of laws dealing with werewolves of any other country I know of. It would behoove you to familiarize yourself with their system and why it works if you would like to make changes here. The fact that your trip will coincide with a bit of unpleasantness that should be resolved in a few days is merely coincidental." Kingsley smirked and Harry grinned. Hermione sighed and shook her head.

"It's the perfect plan, Hermione," Harry said.

"What about Will?" Hermione asked.

"I'll take care of Will," Harry said. "I'll find his family."

"What if they won't take him back?" Hermione asked quietly. The two men sobered, knowing it was always a possibility.

"Then we'll deal with that if it happens," Harry said. "You know Molly would love to have someone to mother at the Burrow."

"I can't just leave him, Harry," Hermione said. "Everyone else has already abandoned him."

"You can talk to him before you leave. Hermione, please do this," Harry said, taking her hand. "We need you here, fighting for everyone who needs to be fought for, not losing your job because your old boss is a bloody wanker." Harry glanced at Kingsley. "Sorry." Kingsley laughed.

"No apology necessary." He winked. Hermione sighed again.

"Can't I just stay in England somewhere?" she asked. "I can go somewhere Muggle and take Will with me. Just until things are settled."

"Hermione," Kingsley said. "If you're here, there is always the chance that someone will find you, especially if you have Will with you. I understand your hesitation, but I give you my word that I will not let anything happen to the boy. Harry will make it his priority to find Will's family." Hermione glanced between the two men and sighed.

"All right, I'll go," she said.

"Excellent," Kingsley said. "I'll set up a portkey for you and you can leave as soon as I write a quick letter of introduction to the French Ministry. It shouldn't take me more than fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes!" Hermione exclaimed. "But I have to go home and pack!"

"Hermione, where do you think is the first place Williamson will look?" Harry asked. "You can't go home."

"Harry, I can't go to France without any clothes besides what I'm wearing!" Kingsley reached into one of his desk drawers pulled out a bank draft.

"For expenses," Kingsley said. "You can purchase what you need when you get there. France has a Gringotts branch."

"Kingsley, that's ridiculous," Hermione said. "I'm not taking your money."

"It's the Ministry's money," Kingsley said. "They cover all expenses for work-related trips."

"I think the Ministry would expect that their employees would bring their own clothing and toiletries," Hermione huffed. Kingsley shrugged.

"You can reimburse me for those things when you return, if you like." Hermione reluctantly took the bank draft.

"I would like to talk to Will," she said.

"Just don't tell him where you're going," Kingsley said. Hermione nodded, and she and Harry left Kingsley's office as he summoned Miss Stebbins to dictate the letter.

"You okay?" Harry asked as they walked across the office to the conference room.

"It's been quite the day," Hermione said with a sigh. Harry chuckled.

"That's for sure." Hermione smiled and hoped it looked genuine. Harry had no idea, of course, what had happened between her and Remus at Grimmauld Place. And now, Hermione was being whisked off to France for who knew how long. She wouldn't have a chance to speak to Remus until she got back.

She bit back a sigh, knowing the longer they waited to talk, the more likely it would be that Remus would talk himself out of whatever his feelings for her actually were. She no longer thought it was just a reaction to being lonely. Their kiss today had been more than that, she was sure of it. And now she wouldn't be able to discuss it with him.

Harry opened the door to the conference room and Hermione couldn't help but smile. Will had fallen asleep, his head pillowed on his arms on top of the table.

"He's had a rough day too," Harry said quietly. Hermione walked towards the boy.

"I really don't want to wake him," she whispered.

"He'll be upset if he doesn't get to say good-bye to you," Harry said.

"Will," Hermione said quietly. She shook his shoulder gently. He yawned and looked up at her bleary-eyed. He rubbed his eyes and focused in on her.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"I have to take a trip," she said. "It's come up last minute for work."

"You're leaving?" Will asked, eyes wide.

"Yes," Hermione said. "But only for a few days." Will looked down at the tabletop.

"This is because of me, isn't it?" he asked quietly.

"No," Hermione said firmly. "Like I said, it's something for work. I tried to get out of it, but I can't. I promise I'll check on you as soon as I get back."

"What's going to happen to me?" he almost whispered. Hermione's heart clenched when she saw the tears in his eyes.

"I'm going to find your family," Harry said. "And until I do, you can stay with me, if that's all right."

"What about Felix and the others?" Will asked, looking sad and confused.

"We'll keep looking for them," Harry said. Hermione sat down next to Will.

"Do you want to go back to living with them?" she asked. Will shrugged.

"If my parents don't want me, the pack is all I have."

"That's not true," Hermione said. "You have me and Harry." Harry nodded. "Don't you want to go to Hogwarts?"

"I could never," Will said. "They wouldn't let me."

"Of course, they would," Hermione said. "Remus went to Hogwarts."

"He did?" Hermione nodded.

"And that was before Wolfsbane was invented," she said. "Now, it would be even easier." Will looked uncertainly at her. Hermione squeezed his shoulder comfortingly.

"Hermione, your portkey is ready." Kingsley stood in the doorway. Hermione stood, but before she could move Will rose and grabbed her around the middle, hugging her tightly.

"It's going to work out. I promise," she said. He nodded but didn't look much happier when he released her.

"I'll see you when you get back," Harry said, hugging Hermione himself.

"You'll feed Crookshanks?" Hermione asked.

"Of course, I will," Harry said with a smile.

"And explain to Ginny for me?"

"Don't worry, Hermione, I'll take care of everything," Harry assured her.

'Not everything', Hermione thought to herself, thinking again of Remus.

"Thanks, Harry," she said instead.

"Hermione," Kingsley prompted.

"Right," Hermione said. She smiled at Will one last time. She and Kingsley left the conference room and the Minister handed her the portkey.

"This will take you directly to the Ministry's portkey arrival station. Show them the letter, but as it is after hours there, you will likely have to return in the morning to speak to anyone in the Werewolf Support Group. The official at the portkey office can help you find a hotel."

"I understand," Hermione said. "Thank you for doing this."

"I'm sorry you were put in a position where I had to," Kingsley replied quietly so Will didn't overhear. "Don't worry, I will deal with everything here. I will send an owl when it's safe for you to return. I don't expect it to take more than a few days." Hermione nodded. "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Hermione said.

"Portus," Kingsley said, tapping the teacup with his wand. "Good luck, Hermione." The cup glowed blue and the last thing Hermione saw before she was whisked away was Will's glum face, looking at her from the doorway of the conference room.

8 February 2000

Remus paced in front of the fireplace. He had made up his mind and then changed it a dozen times in the last hour. He had expected to hear from Hermione the night before. Knowing her as he did, Remus knew she would want to talk to him about the kiss as soon as possible.

Truthfully, he was starting to worry. It was entirely possible that things could have run longer than they expected at the Ministry and Hermione thought it too late to talk to him last night. But Remus had spent the night tossing and turning, sure that she had been arrested and was sitting in a Ministry holding cell. Only knowing that Kingsley was aware of the situation, as well as Harry and Ron, kept Remus from jumping from his bed at three in the morning and going down to the Ministry himself. He was sure Harry would have told him if Hermione had been arrested.

When there was still no mention of Hermione's arrest in the morning Prophet, Remus began to wonder what had happened. Anything involving the 'Golden Trio', as they had been dubbed by the press, was always front-page news. He had spent the morning trying to hide his worry from Andromeda, busying himself playing with Teddy. But now, Teddy was napping, Andromeda was reading in her room and Remus was pacing, trying to decide if he should just go to the Ministry or not.

There was a tapping on the kitchen window and Remus walked in to see an unfamiliar owl fluttering outside. Remus opened the window and the owl flew in, holding out a leg to Remus. He took the small scroll of parchment and unrolled it, surprised to see a familiar name at the bottom.

Remus,

I have taken a last-minute trip and will be gone for a few days. I am sorry that we didn't get a chance to speak before I left, but I will contact you as soon as I get back. I really want to talk to you.

Hermione

P.S. Please let the owl rest with you, he's likely tired.

Remus' brow raised at the postscript. When he looked over, the owl had perched himself on the back of one of the chairs, closed his eyes and gone to sleep. Remus smiled, glad for the owl's sake that Teddy was still napping as well.

Remus read the note again and wondered just where Hermione was and what this impromptu trip had to do with what had happened yesterday. She obviously wasn't going to be gone indefinitely, so perhaps the arrest warrant had been dropped last night. Although, if that were the case then she likely wouldn't have had to go anywhere at all. Unless it was work-related. Somehow, though, Remus thought that Satterfield would have fired Hermione the moment he found out about her fleeing with Will the day before.

Remus returned to his earlier intention to go to the Ministry. He was sure he could get the story from Harry and it wouldn't look too strange that Remus was asking, given he was involved yesterday. He could just pretend that he didn't know Hermione was gone.

Remus was a bit relieved that he wouldn't have to have a conversation with Hermione for a few more days. He knew she wouldn't like what he had to say. Regardless of how wonderful the kiss had been and how he felt about her, he knew that he wasn't the right person for her. She needed someone closer to her own age, someone who was just starting out as she was. Someone who didn't have all the extra baggage that he did. Someone without a child.

Not that Remus thought Hermione wouldn't be able to love Teddy as her own. She adored his son. But he also had a responsibility to protect Teddy. If Remus started a relationship with Hermione and things didn't work out, Teddy would lose one of his favorite people and Remus couldn't do that to him. Of course, Hermione would never intentionally snub his son, but it would be incredibly awkward. While Remus was aware that Hermione and Ron had been able to rekindle their friendship after the end of their romantic relationship, the two of them had been best friends for years beforehand. Remus wasn't sure if he and Hermione could do the same.

Remus sighed. He didn't know why he was thinking about a relationship between the two of them ending, when one hadn't even begun. But Remus knew that it was better for everyone if nothing else happened with Hermione. He ignored the flash of the dream and Dora's parting comment from a few nights ago. He didn't need to be in a relationship to enjoy his life. Raising Teddy was more than enough.

He turned and pulled a few owl treats out of the cupboard and filled a small bowl with water. Setting both on the kitchen table in front of the sleeping owl, Remus returned to the living room and glanced at the fireplace once more. Now that he knew Hermione was safe, he would wait until Harry was off work to talk to him.

11 February 2000

Hermione Apparated into her back garden and tiredly let herself into her house. The trip to France had been good, she had learned a lot, but she hadn't been able to get her mind off Remus or Will the entire time. She'd had no communication with anyone in the UK while she was there, per Kingsley's orders. She couldn't have been happier to receive the owl this afternoon telling her it was all right for her to return.

Stepping through the back door, Hermione paused when she saw the light on over the sink in the kitchen. She hadn't left it on, but she knew Harry had been coming to feed Crookshanks, so perhaps he had. She drew her wand anyway and stilled when she heard a small creak coming from the kitchen. Hermione held her breath and listened.

"Hermione?" a voice said, and Hermione released the breath and lowered her wand.

"Harry," she replied. "You gave me a fright!"

"Sorry," Harry said, stepping out of the kitchen and lowering his own wand. "I stopped by to feed Crookshanks. Kingsley told me you were coming back today, but I wasn't sure what time you'd get here. How was your trip?"

"It was good," she said, turning on a lamp in the living room. "Tell me what happened with Will."

"He's fine," Harry assured her. "He's back with his mother and his brother and sisters."

"They took him back?" Hermione questioned, getting a bit choked up.

"Yes," Harry said with a smile.

"Tell me everything," Hermione demanded.

"Will stayed with me at Grimmauld the night that you left," Harry began. "I found out that his older brother and sister are still at Hogwarts, a fourth year and a seventh year, so McGonagall gave me their home address. I went and visited his mum the next day. He's got a younger sister too, that he didn't know about. His mum was pregnant when he was taken."

"What about his father?" Hermione asked. Harry shook his head.

"The Death Eaters took Will because his dad refused to join them. They caught up with his father eventually. He's dead."

"Gods, that's horrible," Hermione said. Harry nodded grimly.

"His mum was shocked that Will was still alive," Harry continued. "Didn't even care that he'd been bitten, just wanted to see him. I brought him to her that afternoon. McGonagall is letting his brother and sister go home this weekend to see him."

"Has he settled in all right?" Hermione asked in concern.

"He seems to be," Harry said. "I've been by every day to check on them." Hermione hugged him.

"Thank you, Harry." She was happy that Will had found his family and he had been accepted by them. She wished she could have seen the reunion for herself.

"Do you think I could see him?" she asked. Harry chuckled as he released her.

"I think that you'd better. He asks about you every day." Hermione smiled. "You can come with me this weekend."

"All right," she agreed. "What's going on at the Ministry?" Harry made a face.

"Williamson has been a right arse all week," he said. "He's insisting that Ron and I had something to do with your arrest being dropped." Hermione groaned. She had suspected as much.

"Why doesn't Kingsley fire him if he has such a bad attitude?"

"He only has an attitude when Ron, Neville or I are around," Harry explained. "Otherwise, he is good at his job. Robards did give him a formal warning though, after he ranted and raved once the charges were dropped."

"What about Satterfield?" Hermione asked.

"Kingsley told Barbary about your resignation, so Barbary made sure to be outside Satterfield's office when he got there on Monday. Said Satterfield came out of his office and his face was nearly purple. He asked Victoria where the letter had come from and Victoria told him it was on his desk when she arrived that morning." Hermione couldn't help but snicker at the image.

"Did Barbary tell him what I'd done the day before?"

"Had to," Harry said. "Warrington would have, otherwise, and Barbary couldn't blow his cover. Satterfield was livid. Demanded to know why you hadn't been arrested. Barbary said that he'd told Williamson about it, but that they hadn't located you yet."

"How did Kingsley get that all dropped?" Hermione asked.

"Kingsley told Robards that you were concerned that Will needed medical attention and you took Warrington's threat to make Will talk seriously, so that's why you left with him. Robards told Williamson that since you had brought Will into the Ministry and I had questioned him, that there were no grounds for your arrest. Williamson, of course, argued with him, but Robards had Kingsley's backing, so Williamson didn't have a choice.

Barbary had to act just as upset as Warrington and Satterfield, who, by the way, could give Uncle Vernon a run for his money in the colors your face can turn when you're irate. Satterfield was beside himself that not only were you not going to be arrested, but that you had resigned before he got a chance to fire you."

"Gods, I wish I could have seen it," Hermione said. "Wait, how did you know that about what color he turned?"

"Barbary gave Kingsley a Pensieve memory," Harry said with a grin.

"He didn't!" Hermione said.

"Kingsley is keeping it as evidence with everything else he has been compiling," Harry explained. "If you ask nicely, he might let you see it." Hermione laughed.

"Kingsley wants you to give him a formal statement about that lunch we witnessed, by the way," Harry continued. "I've already given him mine." Hermione nodded. She was relieved that she was finally out of the DRCMC, but she was concerned about the backlash from Mr. Satterfield's anger. She didn't want him taking it out on Gwendolyn. The sooner Kingsley got rid of him, the better.

Now that her curiosity had been satisfied, Hermione wanted nothing more than to talk to Remus. She glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only seven, so it wasn't too late. She could Floo-call and perhaps Remus could come over after he put Teddy to bed. Hermione knew she wouldn't be able to sleep until she'd spoken with him. She'd had a hard time sleeping the entire time she was in France, wondering what Remus was thinking about the kiss.

"Hermione?" Harry questioned, pulling Hermione from her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, I thought we'd go see Will tomorrow."

"Oh, yes, that sounds good. What time?"

"Maybe after lunch?" Harry said, studying her. "You all right?"

"Yes, just knackered," Hermione said.

"I suppose you don't want to come with me to Grimmauld then," Harry said. "Ginny's there and I think Susan's coming over."

"Susan?" Hermione questioned.

"Bones," Harry replied. "She and Ron have been talking since New Year's and Ron finally asked her out last week." Hermione smiled.

"That's great," she said. "I'm happy for him. But I'm going to have to pass, Harry. It's been a long week and I really just want to have something to eat and then go to bed." She hated lying to him, but if Hermione had to wait another day to talk to Remus, she thought she might spontaneously combust.

"All right," Harry said. "Come to mine for lunch and then we'll go see Will after?"

"Sounds good," Hermione said. "I'll see you around noon."

"I'm glad you're back," Harry said. Hermione smiled.

"Thanks for taking care of Crookshanks."

"You're welcome," Harry said, kissing her cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Harry." Harry gave her a wave and disappeared through the Floo.

Hermione stared at the fireplace for a moment and her stomach flipped. What if things didn't go the way she wanted them to? What if she had read into things and Remus really didn't feel the way she thought he did? What if…Hermione forced herself to stop. Second-guessing wasn't going to help anything. Taking a deep breath, she walked to the mantel and grabbed a bit of Floo powder. She knelt in front of the fireplace and threw it into the grate, calling out for Remus' before she lost her nerve.

"Remus?" a voice called from the Floo. Remus looked up from where he was playing with Teddy to see Hermione's face in the flames.

"Hermione?" he said in surprise. Teddy looked at the Floo as well and before Remus could stop him, his son ran towards the fireplace. He squatted down in front of it.

"My-nee," he said with a giggle. He began to bring his face closer to Hermione's just as Remus reached him. Remus gently grasped his shoulders and pulled him back before he actually stuck his head into the fire. Hermione laughed.

"Hi, Teddy."

"My-nee pay?" Teddy asked, holding up the dragon in his hand.

"I don't think I can play tonight, Teddy," Hermione said.

"My-nee pay," Teddy insisted. Hermione looked at Remus for help.

"Teddy, why don't you go find Nanna? It's almost time for your bath." Teddy looked up at his father.

"My-nee pay, Daddy," Teddy said with a whine. Before Remus could say anything else, Andromeda stepped into the room.

"Come with Nanna, Teddy. Your bath is ready."

"No baf," Teddy insisted. "My-nee pay." Andromeda took a few steps further into the room and saw Hermione's face in the fire.

"Oh, hello, Hermione," Andromeda said with a smile.

"Hi, Andromeda," Hermione replied. "Sorry to interrupt." Teddy was still squatting in front of Hermione, holding his dragon with a pout on his face. Remus was about to bend down to pick him up when Andromeda spoke again.

"Would you like blue or green bubbles tonight, Teddy?" she asked. Teddy immediately stood up and turned to his grandmother, excited look on his face.

"Boo, boo gain!" Teddy said in excitement.

"Blue it is," Andromeda replied. "Come along, now." She held out a hand and Teddy happily grasped it.

"Bye-bye, My-nee," he called.

"Bye, Teddy." She was grinning when she looked back at Remus.

"You're back," Remus said.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "I was hoping we could talk. Maybe you could come here?" Remus hesitated. He knew that they needed to discuss what had happened before she left, and he had been thinking of little else since she had been gone. Now that he was faced with the prospect, however, he found himself wishing he had a few more days. He cleared his throat.

"Yes, I think that we, that we should," he said. "Would after I put Teddy down be all right?"

"Of course," Hermione said with a smile.

"I'll see you around eight then," Remus said. Hermione nodded and disappeared from the Floo. Remus pulled in a breath. He didn't think she would be smiling after she heard what he had to say.

Hermione paced in the living room, Crookshanks watching her from the couch. He flicked his tail every so often, a look of boredom on his face. She glanced at the clock again, five minutes until eight.

After she had Floo-called Remus, Hermione had tried to not think about him. She had unpacked the few things she had purchased in France and made herself soup and a sandwich that she had to force down. Her stomach was in knots and it had protested every bite. She had finally opened a bottle of wine, hoping a glass might settle her nerves a bit. Not the best solution, she knew, but it hadn't worked anyway.

For the last fifteen minutes, she had been pacing and imagining all kinds of horrible outcomes to their discussion. She had worked herself into such a state, Hermione didn't even notice when Crookshanks jumped down from the couch and sauntered towards her. It wasn't until he began to wind himself around her legs and she almost fell flat on her face that she stopped.

"Crooks," she said in exasperation, bending down and picking up the cat before sitting down on the couch with him in her lap. "I suppose this is your way of telling me to stop worrying." She scratched him behind the ears and Crookshanks rubbed his head against her. Hermione took a deep breath and settled more comfortably on the couch. She looked up at the ceiling, wishing that time would move faster.

The moment she thought it, she heard the whoosh of the Floo and Remus was standing in front of her. Hermione pushed Crookshanks off her lap and stood from the couch. The two of them stared at one another for a few moments. Hermione wanted nothing more than to continue what they had started at Grimmauld Place, but Remus looked guarded.

"Would you like something to drink?" Hermione finally asked.

"No, thank you, I'm fine," he replied.

"Please, sit," Hermione said, sitting back down on the couch. Remus chose the armchair across from her. This wasn't going as she'd hoped.

"How was your trip?" he asked.

"It was good," Hermione said. "Very informative."

"Where were you?" he questioned, then backtracked. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry." Hermione smiled.

"It's all right," she said. "I was in France, visiting the Ministry there for work." She took a breath and gathered her courage. "I do want to tell you about it. I have a few things I'd like your opinion on, actually, but later." Remus nodded. He sat forward in his chair and put his elbows on his knees, looking down at the floor. Hermione bit her lip.

"Hermione, I," Remus began and Hermione's stomach clenched. "What happened, before you left, it shouldn't have." She swallowed thickly.

"Why, why do you say that?" she asked.

"I'm…not right for you."

"Don't you think that I get some say about it?"

"You've got your entire life ahead of you," Remus said as he looked up. "Harry told me about your new job and I think you're going to do brilliantly at the Ministry. You should be with someone you own age, someone who is just starting out as you are. Someone you could build a life with."

"Contrary to what you're saying, Remus, being thirty-nine doesn't mean your life is over."

"I'm nearly forty," Remus corrected. Hermione resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"My father was forty when I was born," she said. Remus looked at her in surprise. "My mum was thirty-seven. You can build a life with someone at any age."

"Be that as it may, Hermione, you know it would be different," Remus said. "What would people say?"

"I would hope that those close to us would be happy for us," Hermione said. "As for the rest of the wizarding world, I really don't care. It's not as if I haven't been vilified in the press before."

"But you shouldn't be!" Remus insisted, standing from his chair. "Not because of me!" He turned and walked toward the fireplace, putting his hands in his trouser pockets and staring into it.

"Remus, none of that matters," she said. "And you know the public, as soon as the next scandal came along, they would lose interest."

"We would be a scandal, you're right about that," Remus said grimly. Hermione sighed.

"That's not what I meant," she said. They were silent for a few moments.

"I have a son," Remus said.

"I adore Teddy," Hermione replied.

"I know that you do, he feels the same way about you." Remus turned from the fireplace. "But the point is, I have to think of him, not just myself. If we were to start something and it didn't work out, it wouldn't be fair to Teddy."

"You think I would stop spending time with him?" Hermione asked, angry and a bit hurt. "I would never do that to a child."

"Of course not," Remus replied. "But admit it, it would be incredibly awkward if we had been involved."

"I like to think I'm a bit more mature than that, Remus," she said with a sniff. Remus looked at her and sighed.

"It's just, it isn't a good idea," he said. "I'm twice your age, I was your professor, I have few prospects for employment and I'm still a werewolf."

"I don't care about any of those things," Hermione said, already having suspected that these would be the excuses he would use. He had said the same things to Tonks, save being her professor.

"You should," Remus said.

"So, what you're telling me is not that you don't have feelings for me, but that you don't want to act on them because of a myriad of reasons that don't matter?"

"My son matters" Remus said tightly.

"Of course, he does, Remus, I didn't mean to imply otherwise," Hermione said quickly. "But you have to believe that I would never abandon Teddy, no matter what did or didn't happen between us." Remus shook his head.

"We can't do this, Hermione."

"You didn't answer my question," she said, taking a step closer to him.

"What question?"

"Do you have feelings for me?" Remus stared at her and Hermione took another step.

"That doesn't matter," he said, looking away from her.

"It does," Hermione replied. He pulled in a breath and met her gaze. Hermione tried to read his eyes, but they were giving nothing away. She took one more step, so she was standing right in front of him. She continued to stare at him and he didn't look away. Hermione reached out for his hand but as soon as her fingers touched his, he stepped back from her.

"It doesn't," he said. Remus turned back towards the fireplace. Hermione watched him, but before he could grab the Floo powder, she grasped his arm. He turned around and without thinking about it, she kissed him again. The angle was awkward, and he froze for a few moments, but then she felt him respond. He didn't move otherwise, but he definitely kissed her back. For a few seconds at least, before he grasped her arms and gently pushed her away from him.

"It does," she said, looking at him defiantly. She watched his face and she knew, knew that he wanted her. She might have been a bit naïve about how other men had felt about her in the past, but there was no denying the look in Remus' eye. But he didn't say anything and she wasn't going to beg. She finally dropped her eyes from his and took a step back.

"I'm sorry," Remus said helplessly.

"I'm sorry too," she said. "Someday, I hope you let yourself deserve something again." Remus stared at her for another minute, before he grabbed a bit of Floo powder and threw it into the grate. He stepped into the flames, casting one last look over his shoulder before he disappeared.

When the flames died down, Hermione continued to stare at the cold, empty space where Remus had just been. When the first tear began to roll down her cheek, she turned and walked upstairs, stripping her clothes off as she went. She fell into bed, pulling her blankets up to her chin and silently crying as she fell asleep.